The temperature has hit 90 degrees in New Orleans, but there’s more to be concerned about than the annual rising temperatures. Every year during the transition from spring to summer, juvenile crime increases. This year, the increase in violent juvenile crime started before the seasonal transition; and, along with the natural wave of an increase in juvenile crime, there seems to be another wave of crime coinciding with the relaxing of COVID-19 restrictions.
The city of New Orleans and the New Orleans Police Department are deeply concerned about the combination of the seasonal increase in juvenile crime with the other increase as we emerge from the pandemic.
New Orleans District Attorney Jason Williams surprised a lot of people this week when he announced that he would try two 15-year-olds as adults after charging them with second degree murder in the death of a young woman who was bringing food to her parents. Williams ran for office with a promise of not trying juveniles as adults. He broke his campaign promise because of the heinous nature of the murder committed by the teenagers.
Today, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, NOPD, and LA State Police will begin talking about plans to work together to deal with the spike in juvenile crime, from carjackings to armed robbery to murder.
Tyronne Walker, the DA’s Chief Administrative Officer, told Fox 8 News, “Our youth have endured a global pandemic, isolation, less educational instructions, and a decrease in positive outlets.” Walker said that the DA’s office will be talking to social workers, coaches, and teenagers as part of the Youth Violence and Accountability Summit.
NOPD has arrested 196 juveniles on charges from robbery to murder from January 1 through mid-April. Of the 196 juveniles arrested, 45 were between the ages of 11 and 14.
Jason Williams also attracted attention with his warning that the his office will be looking for opportunities to hold parents and adults in charge of kids criminally responsible. If parents faced criminal charges for the crimes of their kids, we might have more parents who would take an interest in what their kids are doing.
The Youth Violence and Accountability Summit is a step - but it’s only a step. Citizens of the Greater New Orleans area should hold the mayor and all of the participants of the summit accountable for their actions. That means we must demand that the summit not be just a symbolic gesture to voters and that it lead to new actions taken to curb juvenile crime in the city.